Beyond The Impossible

Megaris, 18.000 light-years from Earth

When the spaceship Talaria slows down below lightspeed, it doesn’t take much to see that Megaris has seen better days. In fact, it doesn’t look like a planet that could possibly sustain life: most of its surface is covered by dusty craters.

Noriko Null watches the scene from the bridge of the Talaria, next to the marble throne.

<So, what do you think?> Tyche asks her.

<Any lifesigns?> Noriko asks, already knowing the answer.

<None whatsoever. Say what you want about Selene, at least she’s thorough> Tyche shrugs.

<There were people living down there. Show some respect> Noriko scolds her.

<Would it help mortals accept me as a deity if I did?>

<Definitely.>

<Alright. Then I guess I’m sorry.>

Noriko shakes her head in disapproval; she’s not trying to hide the fact that she doesn’t like the daughter of Hermes, just like Tyche is being honest about not caring in the slightest.

<Just take me to Selene’s position and let’s get this over with, Tyche.>

<You heard her> Tyche says to the crew, giving them a vague gesture to carry on.

The helmsman inputs the commands, and the starship begins to move. The planet gets slightly bigger, but it’s only a few seconds before Noriko calls out:

<Wait!>

Tyche raises an eyebrow, looking at her with a mixture of frustration and disappointment.

<What is it now?>

<Something’s not right.>

<Yes, I’m realizing that the Slayer of Gods is actually an indecisive little…>

<Shut up and let me think> Noriko interrupts her, walking towards one of the control stations and rapidly inserting a long series of commands, typing with one hand.

<Just as I thought. Have a look at this> Noriko says, pointing at the map of the planet that’s just been loaded on the main screen. Tyche hunches forward, looking at it intensely.

<I don’t see anything.>

<Don’t you see the pattern? The entire planet was attacked at once.>

<Get to the point, Null.>

<This is a trap. If we land the ship, it will be destroyed.>

<Really. How do you figure that?>

<Selene must know she’s a target, but she didn’t set up any defenses in orbit. She has complete control over the surface of the planet: if she’s as powerful as you say she is, why doesn’t she attack us? I see two possibilities: either she wants the battle to be on her own terms, in her own turf, or…>

<Or what?>

Noriko’s silver eyes shine brightly. In a span of a few seconds they express doubt, then insight, then sheer determination as she gives the order:

<Set a course for Argos, maximum speed!>

<What? We just came from there!> Tyche complains. The flaming halo above her head ignites.

<Selene wants to take over the galaxy, it doesn’t make sense for her to stay for several days on a strategically insignificant planet.>

<I will NOT retreat before the fight starts. I’d be the laughingstock of Olympus. Take us to the surface, and that’s an order from your goddess!> Tyche orders to her crew. The flaming halo has now increased its size and ferocity: she’s losing her temper.

<Null doesn’t take orders from anybody. ODIN, override the controls and take us to Argos.>

<At once, lady Null> an electronic voice answers from the intercom.

All the screens suddenly show only a white Ø symbol on a black background, and the planet Megaris disappears as the spaceship jumps into hyperspace.

Tyche clenches her fists, with her fingers crushing the marble of the throne’s armrests as if they were made of paper. Her crew doesn’t need her orders to react: before she can do anything, Noriko finds herself targeted by no less than a dozen weapons that could disintegrate her.

<Now> she says softly. A miniature electrical storm manifests itself without any other warning: the lightning jumps from person to person, giving them an electrical shock similar to a very nasty taser.

When Quantum returns to his human form, he’s the only mortal left conscious besides Noriko.

<I really hope you know what you’re doing> he says.

<I always do> she replies, recovering the Null Phone from the inside pocket of her jacket.

<And what would that be, exactly? You have nothing to gain from killing me, assuming you are capable of doing that> Tyche responds, trying to sound confident. It doesn’t take an expert on body language to see that she’s worried.

<You are on a spaceship with the Slayer of Gods and I have the Eraser ready to go at a moment’s notice, Tyche: if I wanted you dead, you’d be.>

<Is it really a good idea to antagonize her?> Quantum whispers to her.

<We’ll see> Noriko answers, taking the phone to her ear to make a call.

 

Argos, 100 light-years from Earth

Kari Zel wakes up with the sound of her cellphone. She’s here as a guest of the Senate; the Myridian government asked her to represent her planet, but she declined: Noriko wants her to be here to have eyes and ears on Syzar at all possible times.

<What is it now, Nori?> she asks, yawning.

<You were sleeping? Don’t you have duplicates for that?>

<I am a duplicate. And we need to sleep too.>

<Hm. I’ll work on that. Listen Kari, is everything okay there?>

<What do you mean? You’re not back on Argos?>

<No, I’m calling using the tachyon interferometric relay.>

<The Space Phone?>

<If you insist on calling it that. Call me if anything happens there, okay?>

<Why? What’s gonna happen?>

<There’s nothing on Megaris. I have reason to believe Selene is about to attack Argos.>

<Well, everything looks quiet here.>

<How would you know? You were sleeping.>

<I think I’d notice if the planet was under invasion. You want me to talk to Syzar?>

<No, it’s still possible that he’s working with Selene.>

<Come on, don’t be paranoid.>

<It’s not paranoia if half the galaxy wants you dead.>

Kari rolls her eyes: she knows that when Noriko fixates on an idea, it’s nearly impossible to make her change her mind. Then she’s distracted by an unexpected sound, accompanied by red lights.

<Wait a sec. That’s the city alarm system> she says, creating a duplicate to run to the nearest window. The duplicate suddenly covers her eyes with her arm, however, to protect herself from the blinding light coming from the sky.

<Kari, are you still there? Talk to me, what’s happening?> Noriko asks over the phone.

There are other explosions in the sky, smaller but still bright enough to turn the night into day. And they’re followed by balls of fire falling over the city.

<I gotta go, Nori. It looks like Argos is under attack.>

 

Senate War Room

Alexer Syzar barely had enough time to get dressed before he was dragged here by the Senate Guard. The man who is briefing him is one of Aura’s lesser lieutenants, so unimportant that Syzar didn’t even bother to learn his name.

<We lost contact with the orbital defenses, presumably they’ve all been destroyed. Something slowed below lightspeed right behind our defense line and opened fire.>

<Why is everything shaking? Are we under bombardment?> Syzar asks; the Senate could easily withstand a massive earthquake, but it’s taking heavy damage.

<Yes, but we don’t know from what, we’ve completely lost all sensors> the lieutenant says.

Something crashes through the roof. The lieutenant jumps in front of Syzar to shield him with his body, draws his plasma gun and takes aim.

The rock that smashed the roof quickly morphs into the living statue of a beautiful woman, whose body ignores the plasma bullets that ricochet over its marble skin. It’s just the beginning, though: the entire roof is separated from the rest of the room, raining debris over the people present.

<Careful, Your Holiness. You don’t want to kill them just yet> says a familiar voice, right when the debris stop in mid-air. A freakishly tall man floats inside the War Room, with arms crossed in defiance and with a disturbing smile on his face.

<Talas Khanos. What new horror do you serve this time?> Syzar asks, looking at the immense statue of Selene visible from the hole that used to be the roof. She’s kneeling next to the Senate, dwarfing it in size: her hand is projecting a shadow over the War Room. She emits a pale yellow light from the palm, drawing a crescent moon on the floor.

Something emerges from the light: a woman, with skin whiter than milk and a tight dress darker than space. Her long hair is ash grey and she looks at Syzar with an aloof expression. Alien and beautiful at the same time, she doesn’t cast a shadow as her bare feet slowly touch the ground.

<Selene. I assume this is your real body?>

<I have seven words for you, mortal. The destiny of the entire Olympian Galaxy will depend on your answer to a simple question. Where is the Heart Of The Universe?>

 

New York City

Kristen Lynn has rarely been so bored in her life. She tried to distract herself by admiring the apartment, whose rent is about ten times how much she makes in a year, but the owner is one of the shallowest people she’s ever met.

<…and then I said, sure why not, because… I’m sorry, miss Lynn? You’re not writing anymore.>

Kristen snaps out of it, looking first at the buxom blonde wearing revealing clothes and then at the N-Phone where she wrote her notes. The words “bimbo” and “airhead” appear multiple times.

<I think I have the important parts, Tiffany. You were working at the grocery store when you met mr. Null and you followed him to his apartment.>

<Yeah, I didn’t know he was related to that Null! They look nothing alike. You think people will believe that, when they see your movie? They won’t think I’m stupid or anything?>

<Absolutely not. You were blinded by, uhm, love> Kristen replies, trying to keep her cover story.

<I don’t think she’ll let you write the whole story… his daughter is a bit of a prude.>

<As much as I enjoy your enthusiasm for, uhm, mister Null’s sexual prowess, Tiffany…>

<I know, I know, the big story is our little space adventure the nigh the first Null Tower was thrown into this weird dimension. But Bob’s daughter said she wouldn’t pay me anymore if I told anything to the press…> Tiffany says, biting one of her fake fingernails.

<We talked about this, I’m not a journalist remember? And you were about to tell me how you managed to escape that dimension.>

<Yes. Well it turns out that they had this weird thing, I think one of Bob’s daughter’s inventions, just laying around or something. They had the weirdest idea to make it work… the red skinned guy even said that it would work only for a pregnant woman, can you believe it?>

<This device, Tiffany. Did they say it was called “the Heart of the Universe”?>

<Yes! I thought it was a strange name. It looked like, I dunno, a rock shaped like a baseball.>

<And they said it would work for a pregnant woman? Are you absolutely sure, Tiffany?>

<Yes, they said that. Is it something important?>

“Pulitzer Prize important, girl” Kristen thinks.